Clinic redesign gets design board endorsement

Palomar Pomerado Health (PPH) is one step closer to building its medical clinic on 13th Street, now that Ramona Design Review Board has approved a modified design for the one-story, 7,600-square-foot building.

In October, design review board members were critical of the proposed architectural style, calling it dated and requesting the continuous roofline be broken, a more prominent entry be created and several other changes.

“They came back with a beautiful design. They did everything we asked,” said Design Review Board Chair Debi Klingner. “They got unanimous approval.”

The board viewed the redesign at its Nov. 17 meeting.

Changes included adding dormers to break up the ridgeline, redesigning the front canopy to make the south elevation entry more prominent, and adding more glass and wood siding to create more of a presence on 13th Street. Mascari Warner Architects have been working with PPH on the clinic, which will sit on .91 acres across from the Ramona Library and the future Ramona Intergenerational Community Campus (RICC). With a total of three acres at the site, PPH officials say they have the room for possible expansion. The Ramona clinic will contain urgent care and primary care.

Michael Shanahan, director of facilities planning development for PPH, said the public hospital district hopes to break ground in April 2012.

“We’re waiting for comments from Ramona water district,” said Shanahan.

Those comments are needed to finish documents for the county building permit and approval process, he said.

“We’re already starting our working documents,” Shanahan said. “We’re trying to parallel our efforts. The desire at this point is to move as quickly as possible to get the clinic built.”

In other business at the design review board meeting:

•Architect and former design review member Carole Wylie presented preliminary plans for a Starbucks at the Bank of Southern California at Main and 13th streets. The Starbucks would be across from the library and next door to the future PPH clinic. Plans include a drive-through for the coffee house. Klingner said that, although it would be exciting for Ramona, she is concerned about the impact it would have on other local coffee houses.

•The board approved signage design for Fresh and Easy in the Sun Valley shopping center. There is no word yet when the market will open.

•The County Board of Supervisors approved the nomination of Michiyo Kirkpatrick as a new member of the design review board.

•Due to the holidays, the design review board’s next meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 15. County staff from the Department of Planning and Land Use will give a presentation, explaining a new streamlined site plan permit process for communities with a design review board.